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Sunday, October 19, 2014

#ePortfolios for #flipped #apgov class

My AP Government and Politics students are in the process of submitting their ePortfolios this evening. A few have submitted them via Schoology already and they are fantastic!

The purpose of the ePortfolio is to give them a collection of items that will be helpful when they begin reviewing for the AP test in April/May. At the beginning of each unit, I give them their partners (we alternate with them choosing and me choosing, knowing they cannot work with the same people they have already worked with) and a list of items to be included in their ePortfolio. This isn't an assignment that requires them to create new items, they are simply collaborating to combine their work from the unit and choosing what is the best example of their work.

In order to turn this in, they have to use a virtual, collaborative platform. I have suggested Padlet, Google Presentations or Prezi, but they can come up with anything else that fits that expectation. The discussions I have heard in class regarding the analysis of work and the decision of what to include and what to exclude are deep, informative and productive.

After they are submitted via Schoology, I am able to evaluate them with the live rubric I have attached. Additionally, I am able to give them instant feedback. The fact that they are due by 11:59PM gives them more opportunity to work outside class and fits their schedule better. All they have to do is click on the assignment in the Schoology calendar and upload the assignment. It's that simple!

Once they are submitted, a peer group will evaluate all of the portfolios and decide which pieces from each portfolio will become the exemplary portfolio for us to use in April/May when studying. The conversations that always take place among the peer groups are deep and analytic in nature. They are very invested in choosing the exemplary pieces of evidence since they will be relying on it to to study from. They are able to complete this process virtually since everything is housed online. Once again, this makes it easier for our over scheduled teens to "get together" but do not have to be in the same place at the same time. Talk about becoming college and career ready!